Ideas for Musicians – Advice for artists – split up the pie before you bake it.

Define who owns what, figure out how the split breaks out, who gets reimbursed for what when money comes in and how work is going to be shared before the song, project, job or whatever is completed.

When it comes down to some of the best ideas for musicians to follow, number one is deciding what is what and who gets what. Way too often, things are left very vague, loose and not defined. Then all the sudden when some kind of success happens, often times, things get ugly fast.

Some of the best advice for artists that anyone can give is to put it all down on paper and make sure that everyone is crystal clear on what happens if something good starts happening with a song, an album or project.

In music consulting sessions, I find myself as well as many other music consultants I know, explaining how crucial it is to make sure that those artists that are all concerned with making it in music, focus on making things clean, clear and concise on paper. It doesn’t take all that long to run through something while it is fresh and new, but if those parameters are not clarified, it can cost you a fortune down the line in court.

The rules of business state that you need to put it in writing. This goes for the creatives and the business of the arts as well. Define the terms, clarify the understanding and make sure everyone is on the same page. Life will be easier this way, when things start to get complex.

L

Loren Weisman is an accomplished music producer, author and music consultant. He is the author of “The Artist’s Guide to Success in the Music Business”, a book to help independent artists, musicians, bands, labels and managers achieve self sufficient and sustainable success. For more info on Loren and music consulting services, visit: http://www.lorenweisman.com

I saw a twitter post or twitter tweet…what ever they are called, where a very angry tweeter, was blasting someone for unfollowing them. Calling them out, by their id, hash tagging and calling them names. It was quite a sight as well as impressive in how few characters they wrote their attack in.

I found it a little funny, but it also brought the thought to mind, if someone doesn’t want to follow you, listen to your blogs, videos or updates on your music, your shows or your merchandise, then why bother with them or worry about them?

It is fine to reach out to people, add people, follow people and look to reach a wider and more diverse audience, but do not expect them all to love you or hang on your every word.

The way I look at twitter from the music business standpoint is from a conversion approach and especially a sales conversions approach. I want to reach as many people as I can and gain the interest of those who want to stay in touch. To those that don’t, thats cool. I am ok with not everyone being interesting in me and I would rather build connections with those that are interested or have partial interest than build out with numbers that will not convert.

Why have 500 twitter followers that give you no social media sales or are inactive with you as social media users? Wouldn’t you rather have some one that at least occasionally reads your posts, clicks your links and maybe even just maybe, buys a song, a piece of merchandise or some other product.

When you ask the question about how to make it in entertainment, you need to realize that there is a major difference between a follower and a like and someone that will actually like a song enough to buy it or follow you to a show or performance.

The best way to approach it and your fans online is to work to continue to reach out to more and more people, realize many will drop you, un friend, un follow, remove or maybe block you. Don’t concentrate on them. Concentrate on the numbers you are able to build, the wider audience you are able to reach and then the sales conversion of that larger number in to a small percentage that is watching, reading, clicking through, buying and passing on your information.

It will make you worlds happier.

L

Sales Conversions, social media sales, social media users, how to make it in entertainment, fans online

Endorsement deals – How to get an endorsement  and why should anyone give you one?

A great deal of artists always ask about endorsement deals or how to get an endorsement very early on in music consulting sessions with me. I hear how they want free drums, free guitars, free amps, strings, sticks, cymbals, keyboards, basses and well the list goes on.

The very all too common answer on how to get a sponsorship nine times out of ten is that you are not ready and it would be a good idea to wait, get ducks in a row, build up a fan base and give a solid justification to put in a request for sponsorship instead of just jumping in to the pool feet first stating ” I need” a sponsorship and I should have free gear.

In my book, The Artist’s Guide to Success in the Music Business, I go in to pretty exact detail on when you are ready to get a sponsorship as well as the best ways to go after one as well as the best ways to get some one to actually respond to your request. Hint Hint, go buy the book, check out that section. Yup, a plug!

But for this video and this summary, I am just going to say think about this one simple idea. Why should some one give you something for free?

What do you bring to the table for their business?

What kind of advertising will benefit them?

Remember, in the end, a sponsorship or endorsement is a mutually beneficial business relationship. It is not about you getting free shit. It is not about bragging rights to your friends, it is a business deal that should help the company you are getting the sponsorship or endorsement from sell more products because of you.

Think before you jump. Organize a plan before you start your ask and make sure that the mutually beneficial elements go across the board, if not more so to them than they do for you.

Then you are ready.

L

Loren Weisman is an accomplished music producer, author and music consultant. He is the author of “The Artist’s Guide to Success in the Music Business”, a book to help independent artists, musicians, bands, labels and managers achieve self sufficient and sustainable success. For more info on Loren and music consulting services, visit: http://www.lorenweisman.com